The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection ordered Rover Pipeline LLC to halt construction activities on its 3.25-Bcf/d natural gas pipeline project due to water permit violations.
In a March 5 order, the state agency asked Rover Pipeline to immediately cease and desist land development until the agency's environmental enforcement arm conducts an inspection and confirms that the Energy Transfer Partners LP subsidiary is in compliance with the terms of its water pollution control permit. The developer received the permit from the agency on Dec. 15, 2016.
Energy Transfer spokesperson Alexis Daniel said on March 14 that Rover is working with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to address the state's concerns. She said the state order would not affect the project schedule. "To help ensure this, we have added additional resources and environmental crews," Daniel said.
In February, Energy Transfer pushed back the full in-service date for the project from the end of the first quarter to the second quarter. Rover has received authorization from FERC to place parts of the project into service.
The $4.2 billion Rover pipeline project, a 511-mile conduit for Marcellus and Utica shale gas production, has experienced several state and federal government enforcement actions and project delays because of environmental violations such as drilling fluid leaks in Ohio waters, soil displacement and erosion.
During a February inspection, the West Virginia agency found a total of 14 violations. The violations included failure to comply with a storm water pollution prevention plan, sediment deposits in state waters, failure to operate erosion control devices, and accumulation of trash and construction debris in construction areas in the West Virginia counties of Doddridge, Tyler and Wetzel.
Under the order, Rover Pipeline must install and maintain storm water and erosion control devices that would stop the flow of sediment into state waters. It must submit a proposal for corrective action within 20 days of the order. Once the proposal is approved, the plan will be incorporated into the order.
Jake Glance, a spokesperson for the state agency, said the department gave the company clearance to complete one section of borehole that would have collapsed if left unfinished.
